OLNEY, MD. (Aug. 31, 2014) The latest in teen-age joyrides to claim the life of one of the participants occurred in Montgomery County, Maryland, according to Montgomery County Police.
In spite of the best efforts of police, educators and parents to stem the number of teenagers who die in wrecks, the carnage continues, often with alcohol and drugs a part of the death and destruction. Easy treatment for the drivers of the hell-rides fails to be a deterrent but is an easy balm for the relatives and friends of the at-fault driver who abhor accountability.
The police investigation is preliminary in this wreck but with the death of one passenger, detectives will be digging into the actions of the driver and where the teens had been prior to the fatal trip, including who may have provided them with any alcohol or drugs, if intoxicating substances were involved or if the cause of the crash was simply speed.
Detectives from the Montgomery County Police Department- Collision Reconstruction Unit (CRU) continue to investigate a single-vehicle collision that occurred early yesterday morning in Olney.
The rear-seat passenger , Shawn Richard Gangloff, age 15, of the 17600 block of Princess Anne Drive in Olney, succumbed to his injuries today at approximately 12:30 p.m.
The circumstances of this collision remain under investigation. Anyone with information about the collision is asked to contact the Collision Reconstruction Unit at 240-773-6620. Callers may remain anonymous.
The driver is being identified as Austin Donovan Hall, age 17, of the 3400 block of Tanterra Circle in Brookeville. He was transported to a local hospital with serious injuries.
The front-seat passenger is being identified as Maxwell Elliott Dechter, age 17, of the 800 block of Lindsey Manor Lane in Silver Spring. He was transported to a local hospital with serious injuries.
The rear-seat passenger is being identified as Shawn Richard Gangloff, age 15, of the 17600 block of Princess Anne Drive in Olney. He was transported to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries.
Anyone with information about this collision is asked to call the Montgomery County Police non-emergency number at 301-279-8000.
From WJLA
OLNEY, Md. — Three teenaged boys were seriously injured, including one who died Sunday, when the car they were in left the road and hit a tree in Olney early Saturday morning.
- Shawn Gangloff, 15, died from injuries in the Olney car crash. (Photo given to WJLA by a family friend)
When Montgomery County Police officers and Fire & Rescue personnel arrived at the crash scene near Hines Road and Macduff Avenue at approximately 1:23 a.m., the driver and front passenger were trapped in the car, police say. The back-seat passenger had been thrown from the car.
Police say Austin Donovan Hall, 17, of Brookeville, was the driver. Maxwell Elliott Dechter, 17, of Silver Spring was in the front seat and Shawn Richard Gangloff, 15, was sitting in back.
All three were taken to a hospital, Gangloff with life-threatening injuries. Hall and Dechter had serious injuries, police say.
Gangloff died at approximately 12:30 p.m. Sunday, according to Montgomery County Police.
Hall was driving the 2011 Chrysler 200 convertible west on Hines Road when the car went off the road and hit a tree, a light pole, and a telephone box. The car rolled over before it stopped, police say.